What Does the Super Bowl Loss Mean?

Malcolm Butler Should Have Been on the Field

Via SI.com

The Patriots’ Super Bowl loss last night was solely on the defense. Brady played a hell of a game, passing for 505 yards and no interceptions. However Bill Belichick didn’t like what Malcolm Butler did during the week. If Butler missed curfew or was picking fights in the locker room we will never know.

Belichick Put All the Pressure on Brady and the Offense

Via SI.com

Belichick believed that the best option was to sit Butler, substitute in Eric Rowe, and put all the work on Tom Brady and the offense. This let Nick Foles have a field day and connect with most of his passes. Brady didn’t need this win to be the greatest. He still is. Passing for 505 yards in the Super Bowl at age 40 is incredible.

There Is Tension

Via Pioneer Press

There is tension but not dysfunction according to Robert and Jonathan Kraft. Not playing Butler last night has made some players call out Belichick or even think they aren’t coming back. Rob Gronkowski said he was going to evaluate his season and doesn’t know if he’ll be back. Butler is gone which is obvious and Gilmore needs to have a better season next year.

Belichick doesn’t know if he’ll be back and Josh McDaniels could be staying. There are a lot of questions that will be answered except the Malcolm Butler situation. And if that does come out it won’t be from Belichick. It will be from a player.

Will Robert hand the team to Jonathan and let Belichick leave? That’s a question that will be answered in the coming weeks. The defense has so much work to do. Putting that much pressure on Brady to just win them the game is absurd. In the words of Gisele, he can’t play offense and defense. I took that from the 2011 Super Bowl when she said “Brady can’t throw the ball and catch it too.”

Is This the Beginning of the End?

Is this the beginning of an 18 year run? That remains to be seen but as the saying goes, all things must come to an end. This will be the most interesting offseason in Patriots recent history.